Hot-air bridge-wall



(No Model.) 2 SheefsSheet 1.

E. WTUGKER. HOT AIRBRIDGE WALL.

No. 455,135. Patented June 30,1891.

WITNESSES II .zilliarmy sg (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

5.. W. TUCKER. HOT AIR BRIDGE WALL.

No. 455,135. P-atentedJuneSO, 1891.

:aczczamasm ammczn cs @czczaczcsmcza mcnzaezszsmcza [YA/E8838 Jim w Z072UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

EDIVIN \V. TUCKER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HOT-AIR BRIDGE-WALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,135, dated June 30,1891.

Application filed October 22, 1890.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN WV. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and in the county of San Francisco, and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hot-AirBridge-falls; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of said invention, such as will enable othersskilled in theart to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, andpractice the same.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements inhot-air bridgewalls for furnaces, which consist of the arrangement ofparts and details of construction, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth in the drawings, described, and pointed out in the specification.

My invention relates more particularly to certain improvementsupon theLetters Patent granted to me on the 26th day of July, 1887, which.consist of a hollow bridge-wall for admission of air into thecombustionchamber.

The invention relates more particularly in providing a hollowbridge-wall which may be so regulated as to utilize either a forced ornatural draft of air in order to meet the requirements of the furnace,of such construction as is necessary to its complete and perfectadjustment and adaptation to boiler-furnaces, so that the requiredstrength and durability may be produced conjointly with economy inmaking repairs, thereby permitting of ready handling.

My invention further consists in constructing a bridge-wall which shallbe simpler in its construction, less expensive, and more effectual inits operation than any device of a similar nature heretofore known tome.

My invention consists, furthermore, in providing for the removal of thedirt and accumulated substances upon the interior of the wall, so thatat any time when it is found that the effectiveness of the operation ofthe device is impaired all dirt or sediment may be removed with but theslightest difficulty.

The invention consists, furthermore, in providing a construction wherebythe liability of the lower section bulging or breaking out by reason ofthe intense heat is to a great Serial No. 368,995. (No model.)

extent obviated by the employment of a strengthening-rib S.

The invention consists, furthermore, in constructing the upper castingof several separate sections, whereby the same may be readily handledand the difficulty which has hitherto existed in this respect overcome.

The above constitute the salient points whereby my present inventiondiffers from that set forth in my former Letters Patent hereinbeforementioned.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, whereinsimilar letters of reference are used to denote corresponding partsthroughout the specification and several views, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the lower casting. Fig. 2 is a transverse section ofthe entire wall. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the upper casting. Fig. 4 is afront View of the entire device,.and Fig.5 is an inverted plan of thelower casting.

' The letter B is used to indicate the bottom or base casting, which isprovided with the inclined rear and side walls II. To said casting Isecure the front plate T, which, if so desired, may be cast integraltherewith. To the front plate I secure or attach the damper D, which iscontrolled or regulated by means of the rotating rod which was fullydescribed in my Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to. The damper D isused merely to control the inflow of the natural draft to thebridgewall. The bridge-wall consists of the upper and lower sections orcastings, the upper one of which is represented by the letter P. The topof said casting is provided with a series of diverging apertures M inorder to create a more perfect supply or draft of the air to the furnaceor combustion -chamber, (not shown,) and has bolted to the sides thereofthe dovetail strips or lugs N, which permits of the bricks 0 beingsecured therebetween in order to fullyprotectthe face thereof from 5damage.

It will be seen from the drawings that the upper casting is made inseveral sections. By this construction I am enabled to readily securethe casting in place and as expe- IOO ditiously remove the same from thelower casting when found necessary for the purposes of repairs orotherwise.

Heretofore, owing to the fact that the upper casting has beenconstructed in one piece, great difficulty has been experienced inremoving and replacing the same, owing to its great weight. The lower orbase section B is of such height as to fall below the plane ofgrate-bars, which rest thereon. Each of said sections is provided withthe rearwardlyextending projections K, which are adapted to rest on eachother and be secured together by means of bolts. The sections arefurther secured together by means of the lugs J, which fit beneath theinwardly-extending lug Gr of base B. The lugs J are located inside ofsection P, and may either be cast or bolted to ribs R. They are of thepeculiar shape shown in the drawings, and differ in their mode ofattachment from the lugs described in my former patent in being castwith or bolted to the ribs R, which latter are provided with a bolt-holeand are cast integral with the casting. This I consider a greatimprovement, inasmuch as in practice I have found that feetj of thelugs, which fit beneath the inwardly-extendin g lug G, are quite liableto be broken or damaged. hen this occurs the rib R remains int-act, andI then merely attach another lug J to it by running a bolt through thehole of its rib and through the hole of the remaining rib It. I am thusenabled to readily substitute a new lug whenever an old one is brokenwithout dismantling the machine.

The bridge-wall is secured within the furnace by means of the lugs II,which have an opening or slot formed therethrough extending to the topof the base casting and slip over fixed studs in order to prevent itsbeing forced backward, and by means of the lugs I, which slip oversuitable studs, the nuts of which serve to draw it down and h old thesame firmly in position. This will be found quite a convenientarrangement in determining the proper position at which the fixed studsshould be aifixed tothe furnace-wall, inasmuch as after the bottomsection has been placed within the furnace a pencil or other markingdevice may be run in the slots with the points against the furnace-walland the proper position of the fixed studs thus readily determined. Thebottom of said section is provided with opening 0, which permits theescape of dirt thereth rough, and also with air-inlet opening A, intowhich air-inlet pipe A fits, which is adapted to allow for the inflow ofair under pressure in order to create a forced draft.

\Vhile I have described the air entering under pressure through thebottom of the base-section, it is obvious that the same may be admittedat anypoint deemed most advisable for the admission of the forced draft.The forced air enters into chamber B of section B and has its exitthrough the diverging openings formed in the top of section P. However,in order to obviate the liability of the inflowing air escaping throughthe bottom openings, I provide the ordinary Tompkin plate E. I thusobtain a more perfect commingling with and combustion of the gases,create a thorough consumption of the coal, give greater heat, and causea saving in the burning of coal.

The bottom opening in connection with my device I consider of greatimportance, inasmuch as by simply removing the plate E all sediment ordirt may be removed, while when said plate is in proper position the airwhich enters either by the forced draft or by the natural draft-channelsis prevented from escaping.

By forming the bridge -walls in section, united as set forth,I am morereadily enabled to take the same apart in case of breakage or damageensuing thereto.

It will be readily observed that the several features or parts may bereadily cast or formed integral, if so desired.

In practice it will be found that the lower casting is materiallyweakened by the bottom opening and the front damper-controlled openings,and consequently there is a danger of said section breaking or bulgingout by reason of the intense heat. To guard against this I provide theinterior strengthening-rib S, running from the top of the lower castingto the bottom thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a hot-air bridge-wall for f urn aces, the combination of a lowercasting provided with a series of rearwardly-extending lugs, an uppercasting consisting of several sections, each provided withrearwardly-cxtending lugs registering with the lugs of the lowercasting, and bolts passing through the registering lugs of the twocastings, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, the combination of the upperand lower casting, the front wall or plate of the lower casting beingprovided with suitable draft-openings, a damper for regulating saidopenings, and an air-inlet for creating a forced draft, said inletentering the lower casting, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, a casting provided with anopening in its bottom for the escape of sediment, damper-controlledopenings in its front plate, and also formed or provided with a centralstrengthening strip or rib running from the top to the bottom thereof,substantially as set forth.

4. In a hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, the combination of theupper and lower castings, the latter having an opening in its bottom forthe escape of sediment, and also damper-controlled openings in its frontplate, a sliding plate for closing said dirt-opening, and a forced-airpipe leading into the lower casting, substantially as set forth.

5. In a hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, the combination of theupper and lower sections, the lug J within the upper section and theinward projection G, said lug adapted to engage with the projection G inorder tounite said sections, substantially as set forth and described. V

6. In a hollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, consisting of a basecasting and a top casting P, provided with diverging apertures.

in its top, said top being constructed in two or more sections, ribs R,cast or bolted to said section or top, lugs J, secured thereto, and theinward projection G, substantially as set forth and described.

7. Ahollow hot-air bridge-wall for furnaces, consisting of an'upper andlower casting suitably secured together, forced-air inlet leading intosaid casting for the purpose of permitting of a forced-air draft, andthe lugs H I for securingthe bridge-wall within the fur- EDWVIN W.TUCKER.

Witnesses:

N. A. AoKER, J. W. KEYS.

